The Marietta, Ohio city council voted December 19 to abolish the position of Parking Control Officer because the top meter maid for the city of 14,500 cost more in salary than the amount of money he generated from parking tickets. Mark Farley, 57, had been paid $45,000 per year to issue citations, or about $3 per resident. He only issued $25,000 in tickets last year, or $1.70 per resident.

"How many government employees are asked to make their own salary?" Farley asked in the Marietta Times newspaper. "I thought we were supposed to be providing a service."